He knew better. He knew he wasn't the best out there. He knew he wasn't going to win. Or come in second. Or third. Or fourth. (Or...eighth...not even eighth? Ninth. He finished ninth.)

But he really wanted to do it.

But why? When you knew you weren't anywhere near a frontrunner? Why bother?

Oh. Right.

That's why.

Because it was really awesome. Losing was awesome. Winning probably was way awesomer, but losing? Great, too.

Somewhere around 12,000 athletes from 205 nations will converge in London in about 18 days for their chance at one of about 300 gold medals. That's about 2.5% chance of winning. These are the people, who have trained all their lives, who have spent life savings, for whom families sacrificed time and money, who, since they were children jumped higher, ran faster, threw further, shone a bit brighter than anybody else for miles and miles and miles around. These are the winners. All they have done all their lives is win. And they are coming to London to lose. Yes, lose. They have a 97.5% chance of losing. They know their competition and they know, that while they may be faster, stronger, more skilled than most everybody else--ever--they just aren't stronger or faster or more skilled than that guy. And that guy. And that one over there. And him, too. All that training and time and sacrifice and cost just to lose.

Why?

Oh. Right. Because it is awesome to lose at the Olympics.

Which brings me to a new motto for me: "Dare to suck". Athletes and artists and entrepreneurs, face it, you're going to lose sometimes. Probably a lot of the time. Maybe all the time. But you might just win. And losing at something you love is not really totally losing, right?

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About Me

There are four interdependent elements of flight: Lift, thrust, drag and weight. I will categorize each entry in this flight log/blog according to each of these elements of flight. Many things, for example, will end up in the Weight category. While Weight may seem the antithesis of flight, it is usually the things making up the weight--the passengers or payload--that are the reason for initiating flight. Therefore, no Weight, no flight. Thrust will be the things that inspire and propel me and, hopefully, us higher and farther. Drag will be the things that slow me and us down. And Lift will be those magic moments when we leave the earth and soar.

There is an art, or rather a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. ~Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

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The Lurk List is just that: Some people I know, some I don't. Some of it I can't even understand. But I like looking at it. As much as I would like to control people's thoughts and words, I don't. Until then, I will not be held liable for any content on the linked blogs and sites.